Downtime
by Wild Force Ranger
Summary: Everyone hangs out and pokes fun at everyone else. No plot, just fun. Allies, Interlude 2.


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This is just a random piece of fluffiness. No plot, just fluffy happiness and timewasting. 

Thanks anyone who reviewed Clearing Vision. _The third book, _Old Faces, New Souls _will be up next week; it's very very long. Sorry._

I don't watch Jeremiah. I saw the first episode, missed the next two, didn't understand the fourth, and gave up after that. My favorite part was Teryl Rothery as his mother, though, so I suspect I wasn't missing much…

Downtime

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"Explain to me again why we're watching _Jeremiah_?" Taylor asked.

"Because I have the zapper." Tara told her. "And it's my house. And no one said no when I suggested it. And…"

"Enough." Merrick said. Tara turned to stick out her tongue at him.

"And what's a zapper anyway?" Taylor asked.

"Oh, yeah. Sorry. Remote control, then. Whatever."

"Where did you get zapper?" Danny asked.

"Nowhere particular. Just…around."

"The same place you got _very manned?" _Danny asked.

"Yeah. The same." She didn't elaborate, and everyone looked back at the TV.

"It's not that bad." Max said. "Cole's enjoying it."

Everyone looked at Cole, who was frowning as he watched.

"Cole can't remember who the characters are." Tara said, clicking off the video.

"Where are you going?" Alyssa asked.

"Bathroom." She turned to glare at Merrick. "Don't touch the zapper."

"Honestly, Tara. Who do you think I am?"

"Do you want me to answer that?" Merrick shook his head and she grinned, stepping over Cole to get to the door.

"Tara? Can we have some more popcorn?" Max asked.

"I suppose…I'm not actually sure there's any left. I'll check for you."

"Thanks!" Danny raised a hand, grinning.

Merrick cocked his head slightly, tracking the sounds of Tara moving out of the kitchen, through the hall and into the bathroom. Cole was doing the same thing.

"Go, Taylor. Get something else, anything." The Lion Ranger bounced to his feet, casting around for another tape.

"I can't get up." Taylor said lazily. Alyssa nodded from where she was slouched across Taylor's knees.

"That's right. Her doctor said nothing strenuous for a few days."

"Someone get something!" Cole was spinning in circles.

"Behind Taylor's chair." Max said, pointing. Cole slid behind the chair and examined the tapes.

"Too late." Merrick said suddenly.

"No, popcorn, remember? We have a minute." Danny said, smiling.

"Sneaky." Taylor said approvingly. "Cole, grab something!"

"Too late again." Merrick commented, just as the door opened. Tara handed the first bowl off to Max and slid back onto the couch with the second, gazing suspiciously at Cole.

"What are you doing?"

"Stretching?" he said unconvincingly. 

"Yu-_huh. _Look, _Jeremiah's_ only got ten minutes to run. Let me find out what happens in the end?"

"Jeremiah saves the day." Merrick took a handful of popcorn as he spoke.

"I know that, I want to see how he does it."

"I think Kurdy should save the day. All he ever does is glare at people or shoot people." Alyssa said thoughtfully.

"I want Marcus to save the day. He never gets to do anything." Max said. Then he frowned. "Except send them places."

"Comparative virtues later. _Jeremiah_ now." Tara said firmly.

"Then can we watch this?" Cole asked, tossing her a tape. Tara looked at it.

"Oh god, I'd forgotten I had that. No, Cole. Pick something else."

"What is it?" Taylor asked. Merrick plucked it out of Tara's hand and leaned away from her to read it.

"_Jesus Christ Superstar_. What is it?"

"It…_Superstar_'s a musical, I was in an amateur production…we can't watch it!"

"Why not?" Alyssa asked. "I like Webber."

"All right, but if we're watching that we have to watch the _Fellowship _as well."

"Deal!" Danny said instantly. 

"Right. _Jeremiah, Superstar, Fellowship. _OK?"

"What's the _Fellowship?" _Merrick asked.

"_Of the Ring. _You'll like it. Lots of sword battles." Tara said, shifting slightly to lean against his arm.

"If you say so." he agreed doubtfully.

"I do. Now shush. Jeremiah's about to save the day."

Just over five hours later, Merrick switched off the TV and looked around.

Alyssa had crashed early; still draped across Taylor's knees, she'd lasted halfway through _Superstar _before falling asleep.

Max made it all the way through _Superstar _but fell asleep just as Frodo and Sam were leaving the Shire; Danny had just grinned and was asleep in minutes beside his friend.

Tara, surprisingly, had been the next to go; turning sideways on the seat, she'd leaned her head in Cole's lap and was asleep soon after.

Merrick wasn't sure when Taylor had fallen asleep: he'd glanced over and she'd already been asleep.

Now only Cole was awake with him; the two talked softly about nothing in particular for a while.

"Does Tara have work tomorrow?" Cole asked finally.

"No; she took a week's holiday to recover."

"It was a rough week." Cole agreed, glancing over at Alyssa. "We all needed the break."

Merrick followed his gaze and then looked down at Tara. "She came to Willie's when we closed to bring me here."

"She told me." Cole said softly. "She's stubborn…as stubborn as you or me, I think."

"When she wants to be." Merrick agreed.

"Good friend, though."

"Yes." Merrick said slowly.

"Tired?"

"Yes." Cole looked around, shrugging.

"Floor's free."

"I'm quite comfortable where I am, thank you."

"Stay there, then. Night."

"Good night, Cole."

Alyssa yawned as she stumbled out into the kitchen. Taylor had managed to leave for her morning run without waking her; only Max and Danny were still in the sitting room. Tara was doing something at the sink, signing under her breath; Cole was sitting on the back of the couch, watching something outside.

"Morning." She slumped into a chair at the table.

"Morning, Alyssa. I don't cook, by the way, so if you want hot you may do it yourself."

"I slept fine, thanks. You?" Alyssa retorted.

"Fine, until Cole started snoring."

"I wasn't snoring." Cole protested.

"You weren't awake to hear it." Merrick said dryly from just inside the back door. "Trust those of us who were. You were snoring."

"I don't snore."

"Cole, you sleep alone. How would you know?" Tara asked. "Morning, Princess. Merrick, don't leave her standing in the utility room. Come in. Deer Zord OK? Are you hungry?"

"No, thank you." Shayla answered, coming in. "And yes, the deer is fine."

"Take some deep breaths." Cole added.

"Ha-bloody-ha. Merrick?"

"What?"

"Hungry?"

"No." He escorted Shayla to the couch under the window, glaring at Cole until the Lion Ranger gave up and moved away, slouching into a seat at the kitchen table.

"Where's Taylor?" Alyssa asked, cradling the cup that had appeared in front of her.

"She went out for her run. She should be back soon."

"Keep it down!" Max called from the sitting room. "Some of us are trying to sleep!"

"It's ten in the morning, you decadent soul! Get up!" Tara hollered back. There was a faint _clunk. _

"Oooh. Danny hit Max with a pillow." Alyssa narrated the sounds from the sitting room, grinning. "Max retaliates…Danny pushes him off the mat…and there go the fire irons." Shayla looked across at Tara.

"Aren't you going to stop them?"

"Better in there where we don't have to see them than out here, Princess. And after all, they _will clean up after themselves!" _She raised her voice on the last part of the sentence, shocking the pair into temporary silence.

"And Max hits Danny with…sounds like a magazine."

"Ah, that's my TV Guide! I need that!"

"Monday at ten." Merrick told her solemnly.

"What?"

"_Jeremiah. _Monday at ten. That is what you wished to know, yes?"

"That is what I wished to know, no, Merrick." she retorted.

"Oh. My apologies then." Tara muttered under her breath as she turned away.

Cole cocked his head as a particularly loud crash came from the sitting room.

"And there goes the painting above the fireplace." 


End file.
